Shop asked to remove vapes from store floor as Donington villagers wages war on underage use

A shop will be asked to remove its vaping products from general display for a second time – as councillors look to combat underage use.

Concerns about the addictive habit – which involves inhaling a number of dangerous chemicals through an e-cigarette – were raised at Donington Parish Council’s September meeting.

There it was reported the village’s Central England Co-op and Budgens stores had agreed to put their vape displays behind the counters along with tobacco products following a request from the village PCSO.

However, the Co-op situated on the A52 had not, and its vape paraphernalia remained next to the tills after Thursday’s meeting.

“I spoke to the PCSO and he says he’s been in all three shops and asked them all – because the displays are literally next to the counter – to put them behind the counter with the cigarettes,” Coun Nicola Burdall explained.

“Two of them have and one hasn’t. I don’t know where we go from there.”

Coun Kevin Geaney suggested the council ‘write to the regional office and hopefully scare them into doing something about it’, which clerk Diane Fairweather was asked to do.

Coun Paul Slater, who raised the issue, said youngsters resembled ‘steam engines’ as they rode by on electric scooters, puffing out large clouds of vapour as they passed – but stated his main concern was ensuring local teens don’t develop longstanding lung issues.

“I’ve mentioned before about vaping, underage vaping. I watched a presentation on on TV about it and the concerns and health hazards that are out there,” said Coun Slater, who told the council of an incident of an underage youth vaping at a club he is involved with.

“We as a parish council want to look after and take care of parishioners and we have got people that are still obtaining vapes within this village.

“Go and talk to the litter pickers about the number of boxes that are being picked up at the park that are vape related. They are not 18-plus-year-olds that are hitting those vapes.”

Coun Slater suggested keeping a closer eye on where youths were getting their vapes from.

He added: “Somebody wants to sit on certain shops to see what comes out of those shops. It’s the shops that are selling them.

“The kids are bored out of their proverbials. They sit in the park and peer pressure goes on in that youth environment; people are saying ‘have a go at this’.

“I’ve seen kids riding their electric scooters with a vape going on, its like a steam engine.

“It’s unbelievable what’s going out there, and for the health of young people we need to look at what’s happening out there.

“It’s not today but in a few years when they have lung issues. It has to come down to grassroots and be our responsibility.”